Sarah Rockwell
November 7, 2011
Deering M.S
Journal #5
The "Game of School" gave me a lot of insight into how students view school. I myself, as a student, did not realize how much of a pawn I am in this game until I read about it. At Deering Middle School I also observed students and teachers playing the game as well. Many students that I observed were filling out anwers to questions using the least bit of comprehension that they could muster. Most students were trying to answer questions in sentance fragments, using words that were extracted directly from another source.
I also observed teachers playing the game as well. The science teacher at D.M.S had given students notes and handouts that were direct photocopies from the book. She did not take the time to sift through the material to pull out the parts that she found interesting or important. She also did not take time to develope an assignment that met all students interests. In this case, the teacher chose the easiest route to assign students work. She chose assignments drawn up by others that would keep the students busy.
In my own classroom I plan to master the game of school. Now that I have a deeper understanding of how it is played and the main objectives behind it, I will use it to my advantage. I will create assignments that will aim at students' interests and focus on process more than product. If students are only trying to pump out a product that they think I will like, they will not do well in my classroom. I will encourage students to be bold and take risks in their thinking. I will aim my focus on assessment tools that are more formative. This will ensure that I can moniter students' academic growth. The "Game of School" is one that will probably continue as long as there are teachers and students to try to take short-cuts. With my new found key into the underlying objectives of this game, I will use it as my tool to overcome it.
November 7, 2011
Deering M.S
Journal #5
The "Game of School" gave me a lot of insight into how students view school. I myself, as a student, did not realize how much of a pawn I am in this game until I read about it. At Deering Middle School I also observed students and teachers playing the game as well. Many students that I observed were filling out anwers to questions using the least bit of comprehension that they could muster. Most students were trying to answer questions in sentance fragments, using words that were extracted directly from another source.
I also observed teachers playing the game as well. The science teacher at D.M.S had given students notes and handouts that were direct photocopies from the book. She did not take the time to sift through the material to pull out the parts that she found interesting or important. She also did not take time to develope an assignment that met all students interests. In this case, the teacher chose the easiest route to assign students work. She chose assignments drawn up by others that would keep the students busy.
In my own classroom I plan to master the game of school. Now that I have a deeper understanding of how it is played and the main objectives behind it, I will use it to my advantage. I will create assignments that will aim at students' interests and focus on process more than product. If students are only trying to pump out a product that they think I will like, they will not do well in my classroom. I will encourage students to be bold and take risks in their thinking. I will aim my focus on assessment tools that are more formative. This will ensure that I can moniter students' academic growth. The "Game of School" is one that will probably continue as long as there are teachers and students to try to take short-cuts. With my new found key into the underlying objectives of this game, I will use it as my tool to overcome it.